Beer Guy: Spring brew festivals, ale on tap for Asheville

Feb. 9, 2011

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Maybe it's too early to declare that “spring is around the corner,” or some other weather cliché, but there are definitely some beer signs that indicate warmer days are soon to come.

For starters, tickets are now on sale for the ninth annual Hickory Hops beer festival, April 16 on Union Square in downtown Hickory.

The price is $30, or $10 for a nondrinking designated driver ticket, and you can get them at www.hickoryhops.com. It's a 21-and-older event for everyone.

Last year, Hickory Hops pulled a crowd of 2,600. This year, “We're prepared for 3, 000,” said organizer Bobby Bush.

Look for the new Loe's Brewing in Hickory to be there, along with Aviator Brewing out of Fuquay Varina. There may be some other new players too. In all, the festival should have more than 40 breweries.

As usual, the best brews will be honored at the Carolinas Championship of Beer competition, which will be judged before the festival. Those medals have become very prized on the local beer scene.

Homebrew event moving

Just two weeks after Hickory Hops is the Just Economics Just Brew It homebrew festival, May 1 at Pack Square Park. Last year, it was called the Brew Off, and was in June outside the Wedge Brewing Co.

This festival is all about homebrewed beers, and dozens of them will be sampled. To attend, make a $15 donation to Just Economics, a group that works to promote a local living wage.

There's no charge for brewers to enter a beer, but you must be at the event to serve it. Visit www.justeconomicswnc.org.

The brewery tested several different recipes at its tasting room before finally settling on this variation. Fans of Highland's Seven Sisters Abbey seasonal ale should grab some now; the supply is about gone.

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More spring brews

Boston Beer Co., makers of Samuel Adams, is thinking spring with its Noble Pills brew, made with five variations of Noble hops. To complete the experience, the brewery teamed with Karel's Sausage Kitchen in Saugus, Mass., to make a Noble Pils Spring Bratwurst, available online from www.samueladams.com (then look for the e-store link and click on specialty items).

Hail to the chief

Tim Schaller, of Wedge Brewing, is the new president of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, starting in March. John Lyda, of Highland, will be vice president, Simone Seitz, of Craggie, is treasurer, and John Stuart, of Green Man, is secretary.

Visit CITIZEN-TIMES.com/beerguy for past columns, a brew poll and to explore the Asheville Beer Engine, a data base of beers made in Asheville and Buncombe County. Follow Tony Kiss on Twitter at AVLBeerguy.